Method of making an envelope containing a separate enclosure sheet

ABSTRACT

A roll of paper is provided with a plurality of envelopes and enclosures laid out in alternating end-to-end relation. Margins are provided along each edge of the roll of paper in which indexing apertures are formed to properly position the paper for an automatic printing operation. Subsequent to the printing operation, each envelope-enclosure is separated as a single unit from the roll for further processing in a standard folding machine. In the folding machine, the enclosure is folded about itself and the line joining the enclosure to the envelope into overlying engagement with a portion of the envelope to which it is secured by means of fugitive glue spots. The enclosure is then separated from the envelope and the envelope is folded and sealed about the enclosure. The envelope flap may be automatically sealed at this time or left open so that additional inserts may be placed in the envelope. The enclosure may be in the form of a single letter sheet or a combination letter sheet and return envelope.

United States Patent 11 1 Scholle .METHOD OF MAKING AN ENVELOPE CONTAINING A SEPARATE ENCLOSURE SHEET Inventor: George L. Scholle, Branford, Conn.

Assignee: Compu'color, Incorporated, Statford,

Conn.

Filed: June 28, 1973 Appl. No.: 374,438

US. Cl. 93/61 R, 53/31, 93/63 M, 156/227 Int. Cl B3lb 49/04 Field of Search 93/61 R, 63 R, 63 M; 53/31, 206; 156/217, 227

' References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3/1968 Allison 93/61 R 5/1969 Buescher 93/63 M 1/1971 Lyon, Jr. 93/63 M UX 11/1971 Gendron 93/63 M X Nov. 5, 1974 Primary Examiner-Roy Lake Assistant ExaminerJames F. Coan Attorney, Agent, or Firm-Sughrue, Rothwell, Mion, Zinn & Macpeak [57] ABSTRACT A roll of paper is provided with a plurality of envelopes and enclosures laid out in alternating end-to-end relation. Margins are provided along each edge of the roll of paper in which indexing apertures are formed to properly position the paper for an automatic printing operation. Subsequent to the printing operation, each envelope-enclosure is separated as a single unit from the roll for further processing in a standard folding machine. In the folding machine, the enclosure is folded about itself and the line joining the enclosure to the envelope into overlying engagement with a portion of the envelope to which it is secured by means of fugitive glue spots. The enclosure is then separated from the envelope and the envelope is folded and sealed about the enclosure. The envelope: flap may be auto-- matioally sealed at this time or left open so that additional inserts may be placed in the envelope. The enclosure may be in the form of a single letter sheet or a combination letter sheet and return envelope.

4 Claims, 3 Drawing Figures PATENIEflIuv 5 m4 0000000OOOOODO0000000000OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO0 '26 Lilli"; v L T *7 0000000OOOOOOO0OOOQOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO00400 BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method of combining a letter sheet or combination letter sheet-return envelope with a main envelope to provide an integral system especially adapted for use in computerized operations such as those involving computer personalized web lithographic printed letters in combination with a combuter personalized addressed non-window envelope.

Many of the prior art arrangements utilizing personalized letters resorted to the use of a window envelope. If such a window envelope is used however, the letter loses a considerable amount of its personalized value because it is easily recognized by the person receiving it as a form or mass produced mail advertisement and very often is never opened or read. If, on the other hand, the envelopes are personalized by a similar computerized printing process, there is always the problem of matching up the personalized letter with the personalized envelope. Such a matching arrangement can often necessitate expensive and complicated equipment and a mismatch can cause irreparable harm to the reputation of the advertiser.

Another type of system involves the use of a combi' nation letter and envelope wherein the letter always remains attached as a unitary part of the envelope. Such an envelope however, is usually left open, at least in part, along the sides thereof and is readily recognized as an advertising from thereby destorying its potential value.

It is also known in the industry to provide a combination letter and envelope, both of which may be personalized by a computerized printing process, wherein the letter sheet and envelope are maintained as an integral one-piece assembly during the entire folding and sealing operation of the letter sheet within the envelope with the exception of the final flap closure on the envelope. Prior to the final closure of the envelope, it is necessary to pass the final assembled combination letter sheet and envelope through a skin trimming machine which will sever the letter sheet from the back face of the envelope without cutting through the front face of the envelope. Such an operation is disadvantageous inasmuch as it necessitates the time and expense of another cutting operation and the cutting operation itself is extremely susceptible to misalignment which would result in the severing of the envelope flap from the envelope as well as the severing of the letter sheet from the envelope.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides .a combination letter sheet and envelope wherein the letter sheet and envelope both can be personalized by means of acomputerized printing process.

The present invention provides a combination letter sheet and envelope wherein the letter sheet and envelope may be automatically folded, separated and assembled with the detached letter disposed inside the formed envelope.

The present invention provides a combination letter sheet and envelope wherein the folded, separated letter sheet is temporarily secured in proper alignment with the envelope during the folding of the envelope by means of a minute application of a fugitive glue.

The present invention provides a combination letter sheet and envelope wherein the letter sheet itself may be comprised of a letter portion and a return envelope portion.

The present invention provides a process for forming a combination letter sheet and envelope having all of the foregoing advantages in a neat, efficient and inexpensive manner.

The foregoing and other objects, features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following more particular description of the preferred embodiments of the invention as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a plan view showing a section of the continuous web containing the envelope and integral letterreturn envelope sheet of the present invention.

FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the partially folded letter sheet and integral envelope during the application of a fugitive glue.

FIG. 3 is'a plan view of another embodiment similar to FIG. I showing a combination letter sheet and integral envelope.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION In FIG. I, the composite sheet I0 is a continuous form, preferably a lithographic webbing having a plurality of individual sheets l2, l4 and 16 which are separated by lines 19 and 21. The lines 19 and 21 are the cutting or separation lines for the individual sheets and these lines may be perforated to assist in the separation. Each composite sheet contains a main envelope l8 and an enclosure sheet 20. The enclosure sheet may be comprised of a return envelope portion 22 and a letter sheet or rceipt portion 24 as shown in FIG. 1. The embodiment of FIG. 3. is identical in all aspects with the embodiment of FIG. I with the exception of the enclosure sheet which in this case, consists solely of a letter sheet 26. The folding, cutting, trimming and sealing operations however, are identical in both the embodiments of FIG. 1 and FIG. 3. Therefore, the following detailed description with respect to the embodimentof FIG. I, will also apply to the embodiment of FIG. 3.

When a composite sheet such as sheet 14 of FIG. 1 as separated from the main supply roll, the composite sheet is fed .to an automatic folding and sealing machine. Such a machine is well known in the art and it is not deemed necessary to set forth the details of such a machine in the present application. The enclosure sheet 20 is folded about itself along the lines 28 and 30 and folded into super-imposed relation with respect to the section 32 of the envelope 18 along the line 34 which joins the enclosure sheet to the envelope.

Immediately prior to folding the enclosure sheet into superimposed contact with the envelope sheet 18, one or more spots 36 of fugitive glue, may be applied to either the envelope sheet 18, as shown in FIG. 2 or the enclosure sheet 20 to temporarily or lightly secure the folded enclosure sheet in contact with the envelope sheet. The exact nature of the glue, the pattern in which it is applied and the means for applying the glue, may be widely varied since this type of arrangement is widely known in the art. In FIG. 2, a schematic glue applicator 38 has been illustrated having three dispensing fingers or applicators 40 for depositing the three spots of glue 36 on the envelope sheet as the applicator 38 is reciprocated into contact with the envelope sheet 18. The fugitive glue may be of the type having a very light holding I power so that the enclosure sheet may be readily separated from the envelope sheet by the application of slight pressure without damage to either sheet. On the other hand, the fugitive glue may be of a nature which will disintegrate or become ineffective after a short period of time so that it will only be effective during the desired period when the envelope is being folded and sealed about the enclosure sheet.

Once the enclosure sheet 20 is secured to the envelope sheet 18 by means of a fugitive glue, the two sheets are severed from each other along the line 34. The severing may take place by any conventional means such as skin trimming, slitting or the like. The line 34 may be initially perforated or otherwised weakened to facilitate the separation.

7 With the enclosure sheet 20 secured to the envelope sheet 18 by means of the fugitive glue, the envelope sheet 18 may be folded and sealed about the enclosure sheet 20. The end flaps 42 and 44 may be folded inwardly as indicated in FIG. 2 and the front portion 46 of the envelope may be folded into overlapping relation to the flap 42 and the enclosure sheet 20. The flap 42 may have an adhesive applied thereto to secure the ends of the envelope. The flap 48 of the envelope may be left open or closed. depending on whether or not additional material is to be inserted in the envelope. A adhesive stripe 50 may be preapplied to the flap 48 and in the embodiment of FIG. 1, an adhesive stripe 52 may also be applied to the closure flap 54 of the return envelope 22. Additional adhesive stripes 56 may also be applied to the edges of the return envelope to close the ends of the envelope. All of the various adhesive means for closing the envelopes may be of any suitable type such as pressure sensitive, moistenable or otherwise.

The arrangement for closing the ends of the return envelope and the arrangement for closing the ends of the main envelope may be readily interchanged with each other.

While theinvention has been particularly shown and described with reference to preferred embodiments thereof, it will be understood by those skilled in the art that various changes in form and detail may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

What is claimed is:

l. A process for producing an envelope containing a separate enclosure sheet from a combined enclosure sheet-integral envelope in which said combined enclosure sheet-integral envelope comprises a first sheet and a second sheet jointed thereto along a first transverse line, the opposite longitudinal edges of said first sheet being positioned inside those of said second sheet, said second sheet having a second transverse line defining top and bottom panels and a third transverse line in said top panel defining an envelope flap thereon, said process comprising;

a. applying fugitive glue means to one of said first and second sheets,

' b. folding said first sheet along said first transverse line to secure said first sheet and said second sheet together by said fugitive glue means,

c. separating said first sheet from said second sheet along said first transverse line prior to folding said second sheet along said second transverse line about said first sheet and,

d. folding said second sheet along said second transverse line about said first sheet and sealing the edge portions of said second sheet together to form said second sheet into an envelope containing said first sheet.

2. A process as set forth in claim 1 wherein said enclosure sheet is comprised of a letter sheet portion and a return envelope portion.

3. A process as set forth in claim 1 wherein said fugitive glue means is applied to said bottom panel.

4. A process as set forth in claim 1 further comprising closing said envelope flap. 

1. A process for producing an envelope containing a separate enclosure sheet from a combined enclosure sheet-integral envelope in which said combined enclosure sheet-integral envelope comprises a first sheet and a second sheet jointed thereto along a first transverse line, the opposite longitudinal edges of said first sheet being positioned inside those of said second sheet, said second sheet having a second transverse line defining top and bottom panels and a third transverse line in said top panel defining an envelope flap thereon, said process comprising; a. applying fugitive glue means to one of said first and second sheets, b. folding said first sheet along said first transverse line to secure said first sheet and said second sheet together by said fugitive glue means, c. separating said first sheet from said second sheet along sAid first transverse line prior to folding said second sheet along said second transverse line about said first sheet and, d. folding said second sheet along said second transverse line about said first sheet and sealing the edge portions of said second sheet together to form said second sheet into an envelope containing said first sheet.
 2. A process as set forth in claim 1 wherein said enclosure sheet is comprised of a letter sheet portion and a return envelope portion.
 3. A process as set forth in claim 1 wherein said fugitive glue means is applied to said bottom panel.
 4. A process as set forth in claim 1 further comprising closing said envelope flap. 